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Thread: FEATURED CD - Mike Rutherford : Smallcreep's Day

  1. #1
    Moderator Duncan Glenday's Avatar
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    FEATURED CD - Mike Rutherford : Smallcreep's Day



    Per Allmusic:
    Mike Rutherford's first solo album is awash with sounds, but no melodies. From the first note, there's a layering of keyboards and guitars flows, much like on '70s Genesis albums. There are also intricate instrumental passages, again similar to Genesis. The difference lies in Rutherford's inability to produce even one memorable song on this disc. The production is flawed by David Hentschel, whose dense sound also marred the Genesis albums And Then There Were Three and Duke. Chances are even a die-hard Genesis or Mike Rutherford fan can find a better way to spend 15 bucks.
    http://www.allmusic.com/album/small-...y-mw0000651607



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    Duncan

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    I listened to a few portions from this clip. Yes, I know I can't really make a proper judgment without a full listening - but my impression is that there's some decent music here but that it lacks something... and that something has the initials TB.

  3. #3
    Great album and I totally disagree about the lack of melody, though I'm not a huge fan of the guy singing them. The production is weird though. And the cd sounds like it was taken from the vinyl which was further marred by being too long an album to fit on two sides. Hentschel stated out doing great work engineering on albums like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and producing Trick of the Tail but seemed to get worse every album he made...

  4. #4
    This album blows any other Genesis solo album away. The closest would be PG 4!

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Rufus View Post
    This album blows any other Genesis solo album away. The closest would be PG 4!
    If you don't count Steve Hackett and Ant Phillips albums you might have a case on that one Unless you limit it to solo albums made by active band members, in which case PG is out of the running but Voyage of teh Acolyte still counts and has a slight edge imho.

  6. #6
    One of my favorite solo albums from the Genesis camp. Noel McCalla's vocals are great and I like the lush sound on many of the tracks. "Time and Time Again" and "Overnight Job" are two of my favorites.

  7. #7
    I love this album, though it does have a few weak moments. Overall, it is the strongest work Mike has done outside of Genesis imo. Overnight Job could easily pass as a Wind & Wuthering outtake.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by bob_32_116 View Post
    I listened to a few portions from this clip. Yes, I know I can't really make a proper judgment without a full listening - but my impression is that there's some decent music here but that it lacks something... and that something has the initials TB.
    Nah... I love Ant's keys on the album. One could argue it's missing TB's composing but then it wouldn't be much of a MR solo album would it *lol* Mike's songs were always my favorites in Genesis anyway, for the most part (apart from ballads, where Mike mostly sucks a big hard one and Tony rules...)

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    I like the suite. 'Working In Line' is catchy. 'Out Into The Daylight' is a knock-out instrumental, with some truly thunderous work from all the musicians and a really emotive, stirring melody. 'At The End Of The Day' which finishes the suite is very powerful.

    The other half, with the exception of the excellent 'Moonshine', is very forgettable. A game of two halves, then. I often find this the case with Rutherford's solo endeavours....some strong writing mixed with some bland stuff.

  10. #10
    Yeah, I've always liked this one. Would be nice to see a remastered version akin to Curious Feeling from a few years back, where they made some pretty solid sonic enhancements.
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  11. #11
    Member No Pride's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    I like the suite. 'Working In Line' is catchy. 'Out Into The Daylight' is a knock-out instrumental, with some truly thunderous work from all the musicians and a really emotive, stirring melody. 'At The End Of The Day' which finishes the suite is very powerful.

    The other half, with the exception of the excellent 'Moonshine', is very forgettable. A game of two halves, then. I often find this the case with Rutherford's solo endeavours....some strong writing mixed with some bland stuff.
    I actually like the "song side" better than the suite, though I love the last two tracks of the suite (which you mentioned).

    Definitely one of the best of Genesis members' solo albums.

  12. #12
    Member Paulrus's Avatar
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    LOL, weren't we just talking about this album in another thread not long ago?

    But every time I hear this album I have a better opinion about it. In fact, the most recent time I became convinced that there was stuff on it that blew half of Duke out of the water. Regardless, it was Mike's last hurrah as a prog music writer and player IMO.
    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

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    Never heard this one before now, though I remember it getting prominent display in the record store racks all those years ago. I remember thinking "what an unattractive album cover."

    Now that I've heard it, though, I like the music and I like the Hentschel production. I would buy a well-done reissue.

  14. #14
    The 24-minute suite is the best thing released from the Genesis camp since "One For The Vine" and better than anything that came after. The singing isn't my favorite, but the music and playing is superb. "Out Into The Daylight" is a particular highlight. The flip side leaves me cold.
    Last edited by yesstiles; 03-20-2015 at 04:08 PM.

  15. #15
    I had this on vinyl but it's pretty weak. Time and Time Again & At the End of the Day are really great songs though, if not particularly prog. I recall those two songs were released as the A and B sides of a single.

  16. #16
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Really, really stupid review from AllMusic. The album if full of melodies. 'Time and Time Again' is gorgeous, similar to but much much better than 'Many Too Many'. I like the album throughout quite a bit, but nothing blows my socks off like the instrumentals on 'A Curious Feeling'.

  17. #17
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    I keep wanting to like this, or at least thinking I OUGHT to like it, but it just didn't click with me. Nothing bad about it, but it just seemed so slight. (A Curious Feeling never did much for me either.) If it ever gets reissued perhaps I'll give it another chance.

  18. #18
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    David Hentschel was a great producer/engineer on the high end, terrible on the low end. Which is ironic, producing an album for one who's primarily a bassist. Unbelievable that this hasn't been remastered yet.

    Anthony Phillips does nice work on this album, throwing on that killer intro to 'Romani', for example.

  19. #19
    A perfect companion to Duke - and a Genesis solo album that has aged extremely well for me, since when it came out, I yawned at it...

  20. #20
    A large amount of synthesizer on the album is guitar synth, too. You can hear it tracking the guitar at the start of tge suite for instance.

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    Very little memorable music on this one for me. The worst of the Genesis solo debuts, easily. Mike can't even stand out on his own record... This whole LP just seems forced somehow; not passionate.

  22. #22
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    Excellent album. Loved it then, love it now. I prefer the song side to the suite side, though it's good too.
    To find a better Genesis related solo album, you have to look to Steve Hackett.

  23. #23
    chalkpie
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    ^ This thing is on par with "Geese/Ghost"? I've never heard it but not sure they could be compared? But if its as good quality-wise, then this thing should kick some ass. I guess it needs spinnage.

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    To my ears, a good but not excellent album. I never put it on par with Voyage of the Acolyte or Geese and the Ghost, which are among my favorites. I'll give it another listen.

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    Quote Originally Posted by gingernut View Post
    I had this on vinyl but it's pretty weak.
    Ditto.

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